Franklin Mint Monopoly
by The Beast!
(Boardgame Beast HQ)
Franklin Mint Monopoly
It's a wooden edition, similar to Michael Graves Products Monopoly. The crucial difference is in the quality of the finish.
Dark hardwood playing board with a green felt centre. Gold-plated hotels. Yes, GOLD-PLATED HOTELS! How cool is THAT?! The replica tokens from the original 1935 game are also coated in gold, while the houses are plated in silver.
There's a banker's tray which slides out from beneath the board, plus a portfolio holder for the property cards. Which smacks of elitism, but this set, above almost all others, can afford that attitude.
If you're wondering how much people had to pay for this when it was new, the price was $595. Take advantage of market conditions being so bad now, while the going's good! And if you're feeling really flush, splash out on a Diamond Monopoly guy pendant.
Until recently, there were NO Franklin Mint sets on Amazon. Fortunately, that situation has improved! The list price there is $425
eBay traders keep a reasonable supply of these sets on the market. One went for as little as $102 (May 2009) and as much as $350 (mint condition). We'd expect you to pay around $280-320 in top shape in the current market.
Don't compromise the condition to save a few dollars. You will regret it when you come to resell it. The name says it all: Franklin MINT Monopoly. Collect it in MINT condition only.
But don't hang around. As the economic crisis gripping America loosens its claws, there will be less desperate people trying to liquidate their collectible assets and fewer of these Franklin Mint Monopoly sets will be available.
Dozens more Monopoly pages on Boardgame Beast are linked below the eBay listings.
